


Almost four years

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24359866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: She sits them down and tells them everything
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	Almost four years

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
> I'm back! It's been a long time, hasn't it? How you doing? How's the wife, how's the kids?  
> It's a continuation of the ESIMY series.  
> Enjoy! <3

„ _Almost four years?_ But that’s- we’ve been friends for three years!” Bryce exclaimed, falling back onto the couch in defeat. They’ve been having this conversation for the past three hours. She sat them all down and walked them through the last four years of her life, and the confusion and shock melted into understanding.

“I couldn’t exactly tell you ‘This year is gonna be hella long. Oh, and by the way, Dr. Ramsey is my husband’. I’m sure you all see how that would look.” Claire took a sip of her tea, shrugging her shoulders.

It hasn’t even been a full day since the incident at the hospital that caused them to reveal their relationship. To their surprise, everyone reacted to it pretty well, and the scandal was avoided, even if it did fuel the gossip mill.

Ethan insisted that she takes a day off, just to make sure she’s alright, and she agreed, even if only to not make him worry about her. She decided to use the fact that all her friends had a day off too and ask them to stop by for a bit of a story time. After a tour, they settled down in the living room with their drinks and listened.

“That explains why you didn’t live with us.” Elijah spoke up, nodding his head slowly.

“And why you never invited us over.” Sienna chipped in, her fingers drumming against her thigh.

“And why my flirting with you didn’t work.” Bryce concluded, a look of sudden realization taking over his features. “Oh crap, is that why Dr. Ramsey doesn’t like me? Cause I kept on flirting with his wife?”

“He doesn’t ‘not like’ you, he just thinks you’re a scalpel jockey. Flirting with me is just an added layer.” She giggled, placing her hand on her belly gently.

She didn’t lie. Ethan had a phase in which he felt threatened, to the point of him asking her straight up what was going on. Claire knew what Bryce was doing, and she actively kept telling him to quit it. For the record, he absolutely did, but his easygoing attitude remained a source of dread for Ethan for a long time. They had a long conversation, talked over and through every single bit of the situation and got to the bottom of the issue, came out on the other side with a newfound understanding and love for each other.

“So, let me make sure that I got it right. Every time we went home after drinks, you two just- what, met up by your car and went home together?” Jackie asked, raising her both hands to stop them all for a moment.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“And every time he ripped one of us apart- wait, he did that only two times to you, right?”

“He sure did. On the first day, to make it seem like we didn’t know each other. And then sometime later, when I said that you were asking why he didn’t berate me for my mistake, he destroyed me the next day at work. Later that evening, he said that he felt so bad that I had no choice but to do better so he didn’t have to do again.”

Knowing that him going off on everyone but her would be suspicious, they came up with a strategy to have him summon her to his office. To an outsider, it was one hell of a punishment, and every time she went there, she received looks of pity from doctors and nurses she passed by. Everyone assumed that she was about to be eaten alive. Boy, were they wrong.

Because as soon as door closed behind her, he was all over her, be it gently hugging her or kissing her with fervor, creasing her clothes and ruffling her hair. They got caught by Zaid and Harper once, and ever since then, everyone that knew about Ethan and Claire being married, knocked on the door.

“I find it hard to imagine Ethan Ramsey being gentle. If I didn’t see it yesterday, I would say it’s impossible for him to be nice. And then walks Herond- are you Herondale or Ramsey?” Jackie’s eyes shifted from the view behind the window to her friend.

“Herondale at work, Ramsey outside. It would cause too much confusion and well, it would raise questions without a doubt.” Claire explained, leaning forward to look at Jenner that sat by her feet.

“Okay, so let me rephrase that. In comes Claire, in all white, and Ramsey _melts._ I kid you not, he’s a different man when you’re involved. I noticed it before, but never thought that this was the reason.”

“You should have seen him back when we first met. As a matter of fact, hold on.”

Claire stood up slowly, pressing her hand to her lower back. Being seven months into her pregnancy made her move at a different speed than what she was used to. Bending down, she reached into the cabinet and took out a photo album.

“Ethan would kill me if he knew that I let you see it.” she giggled, seating herself back down.

All her friends leaned towards her to see the photos. A younger Ethan Ramsey stared back at them, either alone or with Claire by his side. Smiling so brightly he could blind them. Different face of a man they only knew from a professional side.

“Oh my god, is that from your wedding?!” a happy squeal escaped Sienna’s lips, her arm draping over Claire’s shoulders as she brought her into a gently side hug. “You looked so beautiful!”

“That day was a amazing, yeah. And-“ she was interrupted by the lock turning, and moments later the door opened, revealing a somewhat tired Ethan Ramsey.

Silence fell upon all the people in the apartment, everyone staring at each other, unsure what was about to happen. And then, Ethan simply walked over to Claire, kissed her forehead, his hands resting on her shoulders.

“How are you feeling?” he muttered, choosing to not address the other people in the room just yet.

“I’m good, spent most of the day in bed, watching a documentary with Jenner.”

“I told you Netflix was a good idea.” He added with a satisfied grin, taking a step back to head into the kitchen. “Does anyone want something to drink or eat?”

The group stared at him dumbfounded. He observed them for a moment, expecting an answer, but got none. Claire spoke up instead. “I think they will stay for dinner.”

“Good thing I bought more ingredients.”

As he disappeared further into the kitchen, all the residents came back into the current world, one by one. It was amusing to say the least, like watching them wake up from a very deep slumber.

“Hold up, back up. Am I hearing things or is Ethan Ramsey watching Netflix?” Elijah shook his head, a small smile growing wider by the second. Bryce clapped his hands, laughing along.

“Oh yeah, we watch a lot of it when we have a day off, especially now that outside activities are pretty limited by my mobility.” She grinned, pointing towards her very pregnant belly. “Most of the time, we cook and then eat dinner while watching some show.”

“Rookie, can you come here for a moment, please?” Ethan’s voice interrupted any other questions, his face appearing from the kitchen. She nodded, excusing herself and walking into the kitchen.

Ethan took her hand and pulled her to him gently, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned down, a teasing smirk taking over his face, and a moment later, their lips met. Her hands creeped up his body, resting on the sides of his neck, caressing his skin.

He turned them around, allowing her to lean against the counter to take some weight off her back. His lips strayed from her lips, making their way down her neck and back up again to her ear. She let out a shaky breath, her nails scratching him lightly.

“I missed you today.” He mused quietly, leaning back to look her in the eye. A beautiful smile grew on her face, her eyes shining brightly.

“I missed you too, and I can tell you for a fact that our daughter did too. She’s running a marathon in there.” she nodded towards her belly, just in time to feel a not so gentle kick, pressing against Ethan’s stomach, letting him experience it at least a little bit.

“Maybe you should lie down and rest.” Worry colored his voice, his lips capturing hers once more, the kiss having just a bit more heat to it. She hummed at the sensation, pulling him closer to her by his hair, leaning back slightly.

He picked her up carefully, sitting her down on the counter and resting his hands on her hips, his thumbs tracing small circles. The added height made up for the distance that the belly put between them, a convenience they often took advantage of.

“I assure you, I’m not tired.” She whispered, locking her ankles behind his back, her heels digging into his muscles. A chocked groan escaped his lips, his breathing growing ragged. His grip on her tightened, his teeth sunk into her lower lip and pulled on it with just enough force to make her moan.

Claire’s hand trailed down towards his chest, her fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt, undoing them slowly, one by one, revealing more and more of his skin. Her lips left his, a line of kisses moving along the column of his neck and reaching his collarbone. She took a deep breath, the scent of his cologne and the warmth of his body heightening her senses, tuning her into him.

“Guys, you do know that you can’t get pregnant again right now, right?” Bryce’s voice pulled them out of their bubble and made their heads snap towards the sound. Claire could vaguely make out the silhouettes of the rest of her friends, still seated on the couch in the living room, just barely covered by Bryce’s form.

“Lahela, if you don’t go back there and insist on joking about it, you’re not getting any food in here.” Ethan warned, though, to Claire’s amusement, there seemed to be a hint of humor in his tone. The younger man raised his hands in mock surrender, backing up and leaving the two of them alone again.

“Is that friendship I’m sensing?” she teased him, helping him button his shirt back up. Ethan shook his head with feigned annoyance, pecking her lips a couple of times.

“Why don’t you sit down and I make you a cup of tea while I cook? Since you’re clearly feeling so unwell that you would even suggest that.” He helped her back down and led her to the chair on the other side of the counter.

“Shouldn’t I go join out guests?”

“They spent the whole day with you, I didn’t. I think they can manage without you a while longer.”


End file.
